‘Fish and chips tsar’ suggested by bishop

MINISTERS have been urged to appoint a fish and chips tsar to promote domestic consumption of fish.

The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Alan Smith, raised the suggestion at question time in the Lords.

UK fishermen were suffering from problems with post-brexit disruption of fish exports, the bishop said.

“What’s the Government doing to increase fish consumption in the domestic market?” he asked. “Do we need a fish and chips tsar to encourage people to eat fish?”

Environment, food and rural affairs minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble said the Government was working with the industry on a “love seafood campaign” to encourage domestic consumption of “excellent fish that hitherto we have perhaps not consumed”.

Labour’s Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon said the Government had promised in the Brexit campaign to take back control of UK waters.

“The real truth is that we haven’t – not to the extent that fishermen thought we would,” she added.

Lord Gardiner said the trade co-operation agreement had made “some progress” in increasing quota, ensuring regulatory autonomy and controlling access to fishing.

Pressed on whether difficulties in sending Scottish seafood to the EU had been resolved, he said: “There is an overall improvement but we all agree more work needs to be done.”